THE DIFFERENCE IN ONE LETER

November 11, 2009

One letter of the alphabet can make a very big difference. When you are talking college football, the difference in OSU and PSU is large.

They are both state institutions. In fact, they are each THE state institution of their respective commonwealths. (Although, only one makes a point of saying that.) Both have rich football traditions. However, as similar as PSU and OSU seem to be, the difference on the field is much wider than Penn State fans would like to admit.

On Saturday, the Nittany Lions were limited to nine first downs and 201 yards of total offense in a 24-7 defeat at Beaver Stadium. Anyone who watched the game could see the Penn State offensive line was simply overmatched by the Buckeyes front four.

By taking a look back at the previous ten meetings, we can see how one-sided this “rivalry” has been. Ohio State won seven of the last ten meetings. In those games, PSU has been held under 20 points eight times. The anomaly game this decade was the 29-27 victory in 2001 that moved Joe Paterno ahead of Bear Bryant on the all-time wins list. Remove that one game, when the PSU offense exploded for three touchdowns in ten minutes, and the Lions managed two offensive TDs one other time in nine games. That came in 2005 in a 17-10 win. The second TD in that game came on a two-yard drive following an interception.

In other words, when the PSU defense is up to the task and smothers OSU, the Lions are in the game and have a chance to win. When they don’t, the Lions lose games by scores of 44-6, 37-17 or 24-7.

I’ve heard some fans blame the coaches, saying the talent levels are the same, so it comes down to play calling and coaching. Hogwash. Penn State has talented players, but the depth of talent at OSU is no match for PSU.

In the last ten NFL drafts, OSU has had 16 players selected in the 1^st round and 69 taken overall. In the same span, Penn State has had nine 1^st rounders (four in one year after the team went 9-4) and 38 in total.

Ohio State churns out NFL talent on both sides of the ball every year. The Lions have had only three offensive players selected in the first round this decade and one in the last six drafts (OT Levi Brown).

When was the last time a Penn State defensive back was a first or second round draft pick? The answer is 2003 when Bryan Scott went in the second round. In that same time, the Buckeyes have had six.

It’s time for Penn State fans to realize that Ohio State competes on a different level. It wasn’t poor game-planning. It wasn’t a lack of enthusiasm. It wasn’t lack of a special teams coach (even though I agree PSU should have one). The better team, the deeper team, the more talented team won again.

As for my bowl projections…

BCS Title Game – Florida vs. Texas

Rose Bowl – Ohio State vs. Oregon

Sugar Bowl – Alabama vs. Cincinnati

Fiesta Bowl – USC vs. TCU

Orange Bowl – Boise State vs. Georgia Tech

Capital One Bowl – Penn State vs. LSU

Outback Bowl – Iowa vs. Mississippi

Cotton Bowl – Georgia vs. Oklahoma

Gator Bowl – Notre Dame vs. Miami

Games of the Week:

Iowa @ Ohio State – Iowa’s high wire act finally caught up with them last week. QB Ricky Stanzi is out after surgery on his injured ankle. He may return to play in the bowl game. The way the Buckeyes are clicking, that bowl game will not be in Pasadena. OSU has a chance to go to the Rose Bowl for the first time since January of 1997. Yes, it’s been that long. Pryor is limiting mistakes, and the defense is dominating. The Buckeyes roll to another Big Ten title.

Notre Dame @ Pitt – This one was a lot more important before Navy stunned the Irish. Now, that hot seat that Charlie Weis has been on and off will be cranked up to high with another loss. The Panthers let one get away at NC State, but they have looked great ever since. Notre Dame’s track record has been to beat bad teams and struggle with good ones. ND has better skill people, but Pitt is the better team. The Panthers put another nail in the arrogant one’s coffin.

West Virginia @ Cincinnati – This game will be played Friday night. Cincy QB Tony Pike is still out, but the offense has been rolling under Zach Collaros. The Bearcats still have dreams of Pasadena, but they will need even more help than they realize to get there. The Mountaineers have been forgotten about by many. They can still claim the league crown with a win here and on Black Friday when they host Pitt. Expect a lot of points… and another Bearcat victory. Right now they have the better program, and they are at home.

Upset Alert – Tennessee @ Mississippi – For all the talk of Ole Miss being a contender in the SEC this year, that idea was finished by early October. The Rebels have lost to anyone they’ve played that has talent. Arkansas can score, but can’t play defense. Lane and Monte Kiffin have the Vols in a groove. They’ve won three of four with their lone loss being Bama. Look for the Vols to continue to improve and get their first road win of the year.